Fitting a tracker

[bluezie]

I'm in the process of fitting a tracker to my T6.1, it's one that connects to a permanent 12V supply, and has an internal battery back-up. Unfortunately, it only lasts about 1 & 1/2 hours after the power is cut, this is nowhere near enough time to try and locate and recover a stolen vehicle, and if it happened at night, I wouldn't be aware it was stolen until many hours after the battery had died, assuming the main van battery was disconnected to kill off VW We Connect. This would be ok if the vehicle was moved quickly to a final location, but thieves move vehicles to 'cooling off' locations to test whether trackers are fitted, before moving them on to traceable locations.

My question is, has anyone got any recommendations of a battery pack that can be fitted in line with the tracker, that will be on permanent charge from the vehicle, is capable of taking between 12 and 15 Volts charging voltage without setting fire to itself, won't drain the vehicle battery, and can be left doing it's thing indefinitely?

 

[Dellmassive]

There are a few options......

What tracker are you using and what's the spec?.

 

[Dellmassive]

Also additional info...

Beefing Up Your Vans Security - How I Done It -

Beefing Up your Vans Security - How I Done It - After recently having a BMW car stolen off the driveway at night, in full view of a cctv camera, Security was high on the agenda. The tealeafs had managed to cloan the key by grabbing the code from the air which gave them entry to the motor and...

www.t6forum.com

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[bluezie]

iTrack FS100 Fleet Series Tracker | iTrack GPS Trackers

The iTrack FS100 Fleet Series GPS tracker is the perfect solution for anyone looking for a quick and simple 'plug & play' tracking solution..

itrackgpstrackers.com

 

[DXX]

If they want they’ll have it, just make sure the insurance is adequate.

 

[Dellmassive]

Have you got a 12v leasure battery?... Or planning to fit one?

 

[Pete C]

I was going to say, just fit a full size leisure battery, with DC-DC charger. Loads of info on doing that on here.

Pete

 

[bluezie]

It's not a leisure van, it's for my business, so no plans to fit a leisure battery. The same problem as the van battery goes for a leisure battery, is it's easy to find, and easy to disconnect, I'm looking for a small battery pack to be hidden deep inside the van with the tracker, so it'll never be found without stripping it. I recon 3 to 5 days charge should give a reasonable chance of recovery, and the good thing about fitting it 'my way' is thieves that are in the know as to how and where tracker companies wire and fit theirs may be put off the scent. There are a lot of places one can be hidden, and plenty of 12V power sources to tap off without leaving tell tale wires to follow.

 

[colinsunbeam]

I went for a self powered tracker in the end which is easier to hide away and more robust.

 

[bluezie]

I went for a self powered tracker in the end which is easier to hide away and more robust.

I was considering that option, but realized they need charging, and I need a fit and forget system. And where I'm hiding mine, I definitely don't want to be digging it out to recharge!

 

[Dellmassive]

I'll update later with some options for you.

 

[Pete C]

It's not a leisure van, it's for my business, so no plans to fit a leisure battery. The same problem as the van battery goes for a leisure battery, is it's easy to find, and easy to disconnect, I'm looking for a small battery pack to be hidden deep inside the van with the tracker, so it'll never be found without stripping it. I recon 3 to 5 days charge should give a reasonable chance of recovery, and the good thing about fitting it 'my way' is thieves that are in the know as to how and where tracker companies wire and fit theirs may be put off the scent. There are a lot of places one can be hidden, and plenty of 12V power sources to tap off without leaving tell tale wires to follow.

It doesn’t have to be a big battery, but the “leisure battery” principle is sound for what you want to do.

Pete

 

[DXX]

Theres plenty of choice for small rechargeable lithium power banks.

 

[Sabre]

Completely pointless so it doesn't matter what you connect it to. It'll be disconnected within a few hours and gone forever.
Use a tracker with its own power supply.

 

[bluezie]

Theres plenty of choice for small rechargeable lithium power banks.

That's precisely what I'm after, effectively fitting a micro leisure battery with the tracker, buried deep inside the van, and powered locally off a permanent live so there are no tell -tale cables to follow. So, going back to my original question, what one to go for? Ie I need top quality fit for purpose, and not some cheap and nasty thing that's going to set fire to my £40K van! Yes, I've seen loads on Amazon and eBay, but, I've no idea of quality, I was hoping to get some feedback from someone that has actually done this with success.

A self powered one is not for me, as I won't be able to bury it deep enough in the van, and it will end up going dead and forgotten about, as I just won't get round to pulling my van apart to recharge it. Also, I already have the 12V powered tracker.

 

[DXX]

That's precisely what I'm after, effectively fitting a micro leisure battery with the tracker, buried deep inside the van, and powered locally off a permanent live so there are no tell -tale cables to follow. So, going back to my original question, what one to go for? Ie I need top quality fit for purpose, and not some cheap and nasty thing that's going to set fire to my £40K van! Yes, I've seen loads on Amazon and eBay, but, I've no idea of quality, I was hoping to get some feedback from someone that has actually done this with success.

A self powered one is not for me, as I won't be able to bury it deep enough in the van, and it will end up going dead and forgotten about, as I just won't get round to pulling my van apart to recharge it. Also, I already have the 12V powered tracker.

I agree on the quality bit, I carry a very small one in my rucksack on multi-day walks and it’s always where I can get it out in a hurry.
They’re all made in China and you don’t know how well until it starts smoking.
I’d be looking at the temperature spec’s as it’s likely to be stuffed in one of the pillars that will get very hot on a summers day. If you leave the charging cable attached there shouldn’t be any need to remove it.
The CE mark doesn’t mean much these days unfortunately

 

[colinsunbeam]

I was considering that option, but realized they need charging, and I need a fit and forget system. And where I'm hiding mine, I definitely don't want to be digging it out to recharge!

Battery life is around 2-3 years on mine and they send you a replacement battery so pretty plainless.

 

[colinsunbeam]

I wanted a proper tracker backed up with professional help in case the worst ever happens. But this is just one layer of security as am pretty paranoid nowadays especially with the amount of tool theft that goes on.

 

[bluezie]

I wanted a proper tracker backed up with professional help in case the worst ever happens. But this is just one layer of security as am pretty paranoid nowadays especially with the amount of tool theft that goes on.

Mine is a halfway to professional, it has a subscription to a website, and this pays for the mobile phone connection. It has a high battery consumption, as it's always 'on' and recording data, which it regularly uploads to the website when in phone signal. You can see on the map exactly where it's been, so it will lead you to the van, or to a point where it has completely gone out of mobile signal, (Iso container) or been disconnected and smashed. As long as the van hasn't been moved again, it should lead you to it. Hopefully!

 

[Wayspen]

That's precisely what I'm after, effectively fitting a micro leisure battery with the tracker, buried deep inside the van, and powered locally off a permanent live so there are no tell -tale cables to follow. So, going back to my original question, what one to go for? Ie I need top quality fit for purpose, and not some cheap and nasty thing that's going to set fire to my £40K van! Yes, I've seen loads on Amazon and eBay, but, I've no idea of quality, I was hoping to get some feedback from someone that has actually done this with success.

A self powered one is not for me, as I won't be able to bury it deep enough in the van, and it will end up going dead and forgotten about, as I just won't get round to pulling my van apart to recharge it. Also, I already have the 12V powered tracker.

Double up with and apple tag also